I am interested in finding out what are the best wide field targets in the southern sky?

Thanks.

Almost anywhere along the Milky Way lends itself to enjoyable wide-field viewing with both the galactic centre in Sagittarius/Scorpio and the edge-on spiral arm in Carina being the celestial standouts.

Hi Brendan
+1 for Bambo's 600. That will keep you going for years! They are not all wide field subjects of course. Attached is a short list of some of the more impressive open clusters, asterisms and the odd nebulae that, due to their large size, benefit from a scope that can provide wide field views. Best time of year to view them can be found in Bambo's 600. Sky Safari 5 or the like will give you an easy fix on their position in the sky. The good thing about many of them is that you can progressively zoom in and explore some stunning details of distinct objects within at greater magnifications. Cheers, Nick